5 The Descent into Depravity  

Carter and Avil's veins were pumping with adrenaline as they stealthily entered the hidden passageway leading to the underground facility they had discovered earlier. The air was heavy with the sterile stench of disinfectant, accompanied by the disgusting scent of decay. They moved silently, careful not to make any noise that might alert HarvestCorp personnel to their presence.

Upon entering the main chamber, they were confronted with a horrifying sight. A colossal vat, filled with green, seething liquid, stood at the centre, surrounded by scientists in lab coats, their faces contorted with concentration. Tubes and wires connected the container to various machines, monitors revealing the progress of the evil concoction brewing within. Along the walls were cages filled with mutated, abominable creatures, evidently failed experiments from a demented mind. Carter and Avil exchanged alarmed looks, grasping the gravity of their discovery.

With trembling hands, Carter used his smartphone to capture photos of the nightmarish scene, ensuring he documented every piece of incriminating evidence to expose HarvestCorp's heinous actions. Meanwhile, Avil hacked into the facility's computer system, gathering even more damning proof of their atrocities.

As Carter snapped pictures, he couldn't escape the unsettling feeling gnawing at him. It was as if a moral compass he didn't even know he possessed was suddenly guiding him towards a different path. He had once revelled in the bloody chaos of dismembering the undead, but witnessing HarvestCorp's deleterious experiments led him to an ethical line he could not cross.

With evidence secured, they hastily retreated from the facility, rendezvousing with Rachel who had been waiting anxiously outside. Their blood pumping, the trio sprinted back towards Dreadlock, only to encounter a pack of zombies, drawn by the scent of living flesh. United, Carter, Rachel, and Avil fought back, expertly decimating the undead horde one by one.

Carter savagely swung his axe with reckless abandon, severing limbs from an approaching zombie. Blood splattered across his face, the once familiar sensation now leaving him hollow. Rachel's pistol roared as she shot down several more undead creatures. Together, they massacred each abomination that threatened their safety. With the last of the zombies dealt with, the friends shared a look of exhaustion.

Knowing they needed to contact the Phoenix Dawn survivor camp, Avil led them to an old telecommunications tower on the outskirts of Dreadlock. Scaling the tower, she hacked the antenna, establishing a connection with the camp.

As they tensely awaited a response, a voice broke through the static: "Phoenix Dawn here. What's your situation survivor?"

Carter spoke, "We have evidence that HarvestCorp is creating illegal bioweapons. They could very well be the core cause of the outbreak. We need to expose them and bring them down."

The voice on the other end hesitated before responding, "We've suspected something was off with that shady organization. Get the evidence to us, and we'll help you put a stop to this."

Before they could reply, approaching footsteps alerted them to danger. Ethan and a squad of HarvestCorp militia emerged from the corners with their weapons trained on Carter, Avil, and Rachel.

Ethan spoke first, "Carter, what's the meaning of this? Thought you could betray HarvestCorp?"

"Is that true?" Their hearts plummeted when they saw Mr. Pierce step forward with his usual icy expression. "I'm disappointed, Carter. I trusted you, and now you're conspiring against us."

Carter's heart throbbed as he wrestled with his conflicting emotions. Rachel, his trusted ally through the years who had grown increasingly uneasy with their work at HarvestCorp. Avil, who had opened his eyes to a different path, one away from the sinister company. And Ethan, a former colleague now standing against him with venomous intent.

He thought back to the many nights spent in HarvestCorp, delighting in the visceral thrill of cutting through flesh and bone. It had been a macabre escape, a way for him to forget the terror and chaos that defined the world they lived in. But now, confronted by the terrible truths he had uncovered and the friends who stood with him, Carter realized that his actions had consequences far beyond his own satisfaction.

It was then that the air grew thick with tension, the metallic scent of guns permeating the room. Mr. Pierce leaned forward with his chilling smile, revealing his stained teeth. The silence was broken by his calm voice that was tinged with impatience.

"Make your choice, Carter. Do you stand with us, or do you fall with them?" His militia was ready to create holes with their bullets.

Carter's pulse raced, sweat dripping from his brow as he weighed his options. The gore-soaked future with HarvestCorp, where blood and carnage were the currency of survival, or siding with Avil and Rachel, risking certain death and dismemberment at the hands of those they sought to expose.

The choice before him was monumental; Carter knew that either path led to no return. In the end, he succumbed to the primal urge to survive. His voice quivered with trepidation as he uttered the words that would seal his fate.

"I stand with HarvestCorp." He declared, betraying the trust he'd built with Avil and Rachel. Both of them were staring at him in disbelief.

A wicked grin spread across Mr. Pierce's face while the tension in the room reached a crescendo. "Well done, Carter," he said, clapping his hands together and signalling for the militia to lower their guns. "I knew you wouldn't disappoint me."

Turning his attention to Ethan, Mr. Pierce barked an order. "Secure Avil and take Rachel to the holding cell. I have a very special punishment in mind for them."

"Yes sir!" As Ethan and the militia moved to obey, Carter's stomach churned with guilt and bile. He'd chosen survival, but at what cost?

"Carter, how could you? We trusted you!" Rachel cried out, looking at him with teary eyes. Avil was equally shocked.

"…" Carter forced himself to remain stoic, suppressing the guilt that gnawed at his insides.

***

With Avil and Rachel apprehended, Carter followed Mr. Pierce back to the HarvestCorp facility, where they discussed his newfound commitment to the organization. Carter attempted to reconcile the person he had become with the person he once was, and what he had done to his friends.

With eyes piercing through Carter's soul, Mr. Pierce spoke, "Carter, I need you to prove your loyalty beyond any doubt. You will dismember Avil and extract her organs. That should send a clear message to anyone who dares question HarvestCorp's authority."

"With pleasure, sir." Carter swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat. As he prepared the tools he would use to perform the repulsive task, he fought to keep his hands steady. Every fibre of his being screamed in revolt, but there was no turning back.

In a cold, dank chamber reserved for the most depraved of acts and where he once took pleasure in dismembering the undead, Carter was forced to demonstrate his loyalty in the most heinous way imaginable. He now stood over Avil's motionless form with a whirlwind of conflicting emotions.

"Do it now." Mr. Pierce commanded Carter to flay Avil alive, and so he commenced the hellish act by peeling away her skin in long, agonizing strips.

"KYAH!"

Avil's screams echoed through the chamber with a melody of pain and betrayal. Carter's hands shook as he held the knife, each cut a reminder of the path he'd chosen. As he finally severed the last strip of flesh from Avil's quivering body, he let the knife drop to the floor followed by a clang echoing in his ears.

However, this wasn't the last of it. Mr. Pierce wouldn't be satisfied with such a mediocre display of gore when he was well aware that Carter could do much better. Hence He reached for his signature tool and with it, he delivered the first strike of his axe connected with flesh. BOOM! Carter's resolve began to crumble with each strike. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! He tried to hold back the tears that threatened to spill from his eyes, focusing instead on the rhythmic sound of his blade carving through bone and sinew.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, knowing that his apology could never atone for the unspeakable act he had just committed.

As Avil's lifeless body lay in pieces on the cold floor, Carter turned his attention to the next stage of Mr. Pierce's plan. Rachel, his former friend and confidant, was to be handed over to a horde of ravenous zombies as punishment for her defiance. Ethan, who had become an eager enforcer of Mr. Pierce's will, relished the opportunity to carry out the sentence.

"Rachel, you should've known better than to question HarvestCorp," Ethan dragged her toward the enclosure where the undead lay in wait.

"You evil bastards! May you find the mercy that you so willingly denied to others," Rachel spat, staring unflinchingly into the face of her tormentor.

When the heavy door creaked open and Rachel was thrust into the bloodthirsty throng, Carter watched in silent horror as she was served to the ravenous zombie horde. Each gnashing bite tore at her flesh, limbs ripped from her body while the undead feasted upon her, dragging out intestines from her belly. He could hear her screams reverberating in his ears, a haunting reminder of the choices he had made and the person he had become.

Carter's stomach roiled, bile burning his throat, but his loyalty to HarvestCorp was unyielding. They had claimed his soul, so there was no turning back.

With Rachel's screams fading away, Carter's eyes met Mr Pierce's icy gaze. His boss's lips curled into a cruel smile as if he were delighting in Carter's suffering.

"You've done well, Carter. You've proven yourself to be a valuable asset to HarvestCorp. With Avil's organs and the knowledge we've gained from our experimentation, we'll be able to harness the power of these bioweapons to strengthen our hold on this world."

Carter secretly felt remorseful but he was careful not to show it.

"As a reward for your loyalty, I'm giving you a promotion," Mr. Pierce continued. "You'll have more access to our resources and, more importantly, to the secrets of the Flesh System. Together, we'll ensure that HarvestCorp's power continues to grow. What do you say about that?" He gave Carter a pat on the shoulder, waiting for his response.

Carter tried to feel excited about his newfound position, but the guilt he felt over betraying Avil and Rachel weighed heavily on his heart. Still, he couldn't deny the thrill that coursed through him as he thought about dismembering more bodies and contributing to the sinister organization's success.

"Thank you, sir, I won't let you down," Carter replied, managing a weak smile.

Mr. Pierce leaned in closer and whispered, "Our next target is the Phoenix Dawn survivor camp. They've been a thorn in our side for too long. With the bioweapons we've developed, we'll be able to eliminate them once and for all. You'll play a crucial role in this, Carter."

Carter's heart clenched as he realized the enormity of the task that lay before him. To attack a group of survivors simply trying to live in this terrifying world was a horrifying prospect. Yet, he had no choice. He had willingly given himself to HarvestCorp, and now he was bound to carry out their wicked designs.

In the weeks that followed, Carter immersed himself in the macabre world of the Flesh System, perfecting his skills as a dissector of the living and the dead. He relished the grotesqueness of cracking bones and tearing flesh, a perverse pleasure that left him craving more.

When the day of the assault on the Phoenix Dawn survivor camp arrived, Carter found himself hungry for the impending bloodshed. His hands ached to rend flesh, crush bone and gorge out eye sockets. The darkness within him was demanding to be fed.

The assault was a brutal display of HarvestCorp's dominance over the weak and the living. Carter waded through the carnage, delighting in each new grotesquerie, his loyalty to the wicked corporation was growing ever stronger.

And so it was, bathed in blood and gore, that Carter embraced his role as a herald of HarvestCorp's horrifying future. The darkness had claimed him to the Flesh System, and there would be no redemption.

End Quote from Carter: "I hope you had a bloody disgusting read!"